Monark Springs, Missouri facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Monark Springs
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 Monark Springs
Location in Missouri
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| Country | United States |
| State | Missouri |
| County | Newton |
| Elevation | 1,158 ft (353 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
Monark Springs is a fascinating ghost town located in Newton County, Missouri, United States. It's found about five miles east of the city of Neosho. The town site sits on the north side of Hickory Creek. A natural spring that gave the town its name is also nearby, within the creek's floodplain.
History of Monark Springs
Monark Springs was founded by a person named Truman Elmore. The town got its unique name from the Missouri and North Arkansas Railroad. People combined parts of the railroad's name to create "MoNArk Springs."
Health Outbreak in 1956
In August 1956, a health issue occurred in Monark Springs. This happened during a large national meeting of the Church of God. More than 400 members from many different states, from California to Kentucky, were attending this camp meeting.
After the meeting, some people started getting sick. There were 16 reported cases of a sickness called typhoid fever in various parts of Missouri and Kansas. Typhoid fever is a serious illness caused by bacteria, often spread through contaminated food or water.
Health experts from the CDC were sent to the camp site. Their job was to investigate the water sources in the area. They wanted to find out exactly what caused the sickness to spread.
Finding the Cause
After their investigation, the CDC officials discovered the problem. It turned out that a person who carried the typhoid bacteria, but didn't know they were sick, had accidentally contaminated the well water. This well was the main source of drinking water for everyone at the camp meeting. This discovery helped explain how the illness spread so quickly among the attendees.
